A poem to Wilfred Owen in repsonse to his poem 'Anthem for a Doomed Youth'. We're doing him as part of WW1 Poets in English. I really liked his poems. Incidentally, 'Anthem' wasn't one of my favorites of his. But its the one he's most remembered by. So I guess this is for you, Owen.
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Wow. You are a gifted writer and a pleasure to read. I love how you wrote this piece, it was very captivating. The imagery.....oh you're so good at imagery.... it's so sad that our world has become a battle ground, but I guess it always was. Only now we can sit a million miles away and press a button instead of hand to hand combat. I think that makes us cowards, but they call it progress. Progress my a*s. If we want a better world, I swear we should just blow this one up and start over.
There were so many great lines in here, let me see if I can pick out my favorites or if I'll end up pasting the whole poem....yeah, it would be. I'm bowing down to your mad skills! Love you girl....never put your pen down indeed!!!
Although coming from Oswestry, where his father held a position on the railway, the Owen family moved to Birkenhead where I live and where his father was in charge of the the mainline station. They had rather nice houses and there is a Wilfred Owen Window in the Public Library (It is magnificent but heartrending). In Birkenhead, there is a Wilfred Owen Trail which visits all the relevant sites. I have walked the trail in a group led by Gladys-Mary Coles (Yes, she who thought up the eavesdropping excercise). We stopped at each place on the trail and read some of his poetry aloud. A wonderful experience.
Wonderful. Intellectually appealing but the intellect soon becomes subsumed in the emotion of this dreadful waste which still continues. What is the point of a civilisation which has a code of ethics providing research and medical facilities to prolong life, yet throws lives away, nay- deliberately kills humanity by the million? Your work highlights these amomalies brilliantly. How are you - it's a long time since I heard from you?
John
are you in my class? lol. Because we're studying WW1 poets as well and yeah we studied Owen's work. Coincidence!!!?
Anyway... this is really breathtaking piece. It's so beautifully crafted and definitely more than worthy of a tribute to Wilfred Owen.
I like how it was almost lyrical in places, some of it was raw enough for a mid 80's punk protest song... and yet some of it was mature and restrained enough to be written by Wilfred Owen himself.
The balance is believable and engaging... it's always difficult writing about war, some people just come off sounding a little contrived. But your words, your images, your metaphors and symbols- all so beautifully created.
It started powerfully and ended with a haunting line, "It seems that wherever trumpets sound, Both you and I spring up from solid ground". It'll stick with me throughout the day I'm sure... it's been a pleasure reading your poem and reviewing it. What a fantastic start to my day :)
Thank you for your work! It's so inspirational. I'm usually more eloquent than this, but I'm just forcing the words out now cuz I'm practically speechless at your talent and skill as a writer.
Part of me wants to write music for this piece... and the other part of me wants to write a short story inspired by it. haha. I've always said- if you write/make/do something that will inspire someone else to write/make/do something- you've achieved something so far beyond what anything like "critical acclaim" can offer.
Beautiful illustration of facts and creativity! I did not read Owen's one, but from your poem it is clear to me that your ode to his creation is perfect.
Yes, I studied that poem of his too... I liked it though especially its pessimistic tone, and the cacophony of the lines, the disturbed rhythm - even if I'm a Romantic-lover and loves Wordsworth above all... ;)
However, I find your poem very profound, deeply interesting. I especially love the lines:
"The blood still spills 'til the streets run red
And yet guns, not poppies, grow instead."
I like the irony of this sentence: it reveals how much war is of no use: war never brings future, peace or salvation; just destruction, chaos, death... Your poem is a great Tribute to Owen - and you make me wanna check this poet's work again!
PS: thanks for your review - I was very pleased by it.
ok. first of all. i love this! i usually don't dig on strict rhyming poetry (aabb) but that's usually becuase peple don't know how to write that way. thank you for writing such a quality piece.
the first stanza really drew me in although i was a little thrown off by
"That, if fate lays down a deadly bet,
We become their marionettes" - do you mean "that, if the fates lay down a deadly bet, we become their marionettes" ? the change from singular to plural seemed strange. maybe i'm just missing something.
anyway. i think you wrote out some amazing imagery and lines here. i'm truly inspired.
"The blood still spills 'til the streets run red
And yet guns, not poppies, grow instead." - i love how you take such a complex social phenomenon of how violence breeds violence and say it so beautiful, powerfully here.
also your ending
"It seems that wherever trumpets sound
Both you and I spring up from solid ground." is evocative and profound. how generations are linked by that call to arms.
Really powerful poem about the reality of war and it's terrible continuance. It seems to be a trademark of civilization, to kill off the ones who disagree with you. Not sure why we would act so irrationally as a race if we're supposed to be the most advanced species. Guess we have to have faults as well as benefits though. Well-written poem. Can't honestly say I am familiar with Wilfred Owen's work, but I can say that I can recognize good work when I see it, and yours is fine work indeed.
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